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Week 2: Welcome to Phandalin
Week 2: Welcome to Phandalin Last Seed: 4/24 - 4/25 AS 922-923 When we left off... Immediately following the defeat of Klarg, the group took a few moments to recover. Thankfully, Quintus, Clyde, and Ulfar all managed to dig deep and summon untapped reserves after their close call with death. With only the western cavern left to explore, Ulfar scouted the bridge and passage. He spotted a few goblins, and you took them by surprise... flattening most of them before they had a chance to react. Unfortunately, it wasn't a clean sweep, and Yeemik '''-- the self-appoointed spokesgoblin -- threatened to drop a severely injured '''Sildar Hallwinter from a high escarpment if you didn't back off. Ulfar did NOT back off! The nimble dwarf scrambled up the steep terrain, while Selgaard braced to catch Sildar. Sildar was spared any serious injury by the Nord when Yeemik inevitably dropped him, but Sir Quintus accepted the goblin surrender before Dargrim and Ulfar could retaliate. The two other goblins seemed to miss the memo on the terms of unconditional surrender, and did not survive the cave. After talking to Sildar, Dargrim realized that Gundren's map to Wave Echo Cave 'was missing... as was the Dwarf himself. Sildar hypothesized that the people who took Gundren's map also took him, to act as a translator and / or navigator. There's good reason to believe that the goblins responsible for the abduction need to keep Gundren alive. Recalling that one of the goblins did flee the battle with Klarg (and could easily have run to its allies for reinforcements), you took Sildar, the bound and gagged Yeemik, all of Klarg's treasure, and about 1/5th of the goods branded with the mark of Lionshield Coster back to the wagon. Unable to find any promising tracks, Sildar suggested that the best course of action would be pressing on toward Phandalin to locate the missing wizard '''Iarno Albrek. ' He also wanted to gather some regional intel before shooting off into the wilderness on a wild goose chase. Plus, Sir Quintus wanted to turn in Yeemik to the Town Master for justice. The group hustled a day and a half down the Triboar Trail, arriving at the village of Phandalin around midday. Thistle and Anders at '''Barthen's Provisions were able to pay you for the supplies you transported, and they exchanged Ulfar's big pile of coppers for gold. Sildar set up in the Town Hall, where Sir Quintus forfeit Yeemik to the questionable justice of the very fat Harbin Wester. '''Town Master Wester wanted to put Yeemik in a sack full of rocks and drown him, but Yeemik pleaded for his life -- insisting that he could tell many secrets of the Cragmaw in exchange for his freedom. Sir Quintus and Dargrim weren't buying it, so Yeemik was put into the Town Master's holding cell. Sildar asked you to help look for information on the location of Lord Albrek, who has been missing since winter, but first the group decided to run an errand to return goods to Lionshield Coster. The proprietress, '''Linene Graywind, was a sharp-tongued woman with no interest in small talk. However, she did pay 10 gold for the goods returned, and offered another 40 if you go retrieve the rest. She also chastised you for saying you were too busy to take "small jobs", and said that you shoud go deal with the town's Redbrand 'problem if you wanted a "big problem." Linene's tirade pointed you toward the Woodcutter's Cottage, where a Redbrand ruffian allegedly decapitated '''Thel Dendar. ' Clyde's investigation didn't turn up much in the old and picked-over crime scene, but he did realize that there were beds enough for a wife and two children still unaccounted for. The thought that there might be children in trouble disturbed everyone, especially Sir Quintus. Dargrim led the party back to the Town Master's Hall, where he exchanged heated words with Harbin about his botched investigation into the Dendar murders / disappearances. Harbin agreed to take action, if new evidence came forward. With that in mind, you realized that the sole witness -- '''Trilena Stonehill -- was the cook at the Inn. So, you headed in for supper and to pay for your lodging for the night. Trilena was flighty and hard to pin down, but she did relate that the Woodcutter was killed by a Redbrand (whom she couldn't identify individually) after standing up to the man for ogling his wife. Mirna Dendar and her two children vanished a day or two later. This prompted another shouting match between the Town Master and Dargrim, and though Dargrim won, Toblen Stonehill (the Inn Keeper) banished you all from the Inn's public areas for the night. Before bed, Sildar confirmed that Lord Albrek was still MIA. Following the only remotely promising lead on Iarno, Sir Quintus made himself known to Sister Garaele, the elven Priestess of Tymora. True to her reputation, Sister Garaele was TALKATIVE! Like, a lot. Talkative? A lot? YES. But she did know that Lord Albrek liked to walk the path toward Tresendar Manor in the evenings. She also offered Sir Quintus a job: negotiate with The Lady of the Neverwinter Wood at Conyberry in exchange for a selection of healing potions. Her job offer was politel declined. The next morning, with the intent of exploring Tresendar Manor, you all got an early start. Unfortunately, it wasn't early enough. Yeemik the Goblin (and your only lead on the location of dwarfnapped Gundren Rockseeker) had been hung by the neck until dead, and Harbin Wester had declared the hapless goblin guilty of the murder of Thel Dendar. As though that wasn't bad enough, four Redbrand ruffians rolled up to your group in the street. Ulfar was very careful to announce LOUDLY that the group was acting in self-defense. The four Redbrands went down like chumps, one cut down in retreat by a seriously pissed off Selgaard. The last one to hit the ground was only mostly dead, so Dargrim got ready to stabilize him.... Around Town Carp Alderleaf, son of halfling farmer Qelline Alderleaf, is grounded. His friend Pip Stonehill says Carp's not allowed off the farm for another two weeks because of some trouble he got up to in the woods. Freda, the weaver, says the Redbrands hassle every business in town, except for the Phandalin Miner's Exchange. They don't want trouble with Halia Thornton, who runs it. Some of the farmers, including Old Narth, have commented on Sister Garaele's limp. Apparently, it is a new injury and she was out of town for a few days earlier this week. Elsa, the barmaid, is very enamored of the adventuring life-style. She is very interested in hearing stories. Mostly, the stories she hears are Daran Edermath's -- the orchard keeper is a retired adventurer. REWARD - Orcs near Wyvern Tor! Those of a mind to face the orc menace should inquire within the Town Master's Hall.